The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-06-17

hat drawn low over his restless eyes,
each man had some mate to reflect hi,
humor or contradict it.
"That is the italian fellow" I whis
pered nodding towards him.
eyes; cleaned out or thereabouts,'
Quincy answered in low tone, and
then we turned to leave together.
As we passed out some impulse
prompted me to turn towards the stran.
ger, and extending sovereign on my
open palm, / said curtly:
"Have it, mate?"
II did not beg" he answered coldly,
speaking with distant foreign accent.
"Of course not, but it will bring you
luck. Money from the pockets Of o
successful digger always does" said
lightly.
"Thank you" He took the coin from
me, but held it doubtfully in the hand
while he followed me with his eyes.
"That fellow is desperate. 1 should
have said nothing to him, on the prin-
ciple of letting sleeping dogs lie," Cur
ney remarked.
ut is always well to do kind action
when one has the chance" said care
lessly. "That may stave off suicide an
other week." and then Quincy and l
shook hands and parted, with some
vague hope of meeting somewhere,
some time, if we could.
IT was a dark night, and when once 1
had left the lights of Tarrangower
behind me, the blackness seemed
to close around me with a
sense of discomfort. After all, had
/ been wise to carry all that money on
my person, and to take my way, alone
and unarmed-for an unloaded pistol
was q mere toy-through n district so
familiar in those adventurous days
with deeds of vialence? Several men
saw the money at the bank, and others
knew that j meant to draw out my in
vestments that day. Why had l not
told Quincy and let him come home
with me? Why had | not
But, pshawl What was the good of
shrinking like child before a dark
night? There was no danger-none in
the world; the men who had seen the
money were as honest as l was, and
once had reach my hut would load
my revolver and be ready for attack.
To keep up my heart / fell 10 hum
ming one of Janie's old songs, while |
strove to concentrate all my attention
on the path before me- had proceed.
ed thus half way home, and my first
terrors were fading away, when, just
where the uncertain roadway dipped in
to thicket of eucalyptus, a hand was
laid on my shoulder, and vibrant
voice said TREMENDOUSLY:
"Your money or your lifeP
"Ha, il is you, scoundrel, whom !
helped" / said, wheeling round sud-
denly on my unseen assailant. Dog
OF an Italian, would you dareP
1t was furious Indignation and scorn
of such base return for my kindness
that animated me at the moment. Bat
thing for existence or for my treasure
had not occurred to me yet.
ayes / would dare, because ] am
mad" the man painted forth. "You
must give me the gold; you are young,
you can gain more. You have hope, ]
have nothing Five it mel"
eyes, Ishall give you-that, L said,
striking in the direction of the voice,
and then we closed with each other.
After that neither of us spoke, but we
wrested like giants, while each clutched
the other by the throat.
Ny money was safe still, secured by q
flap and button over the pocket, accord
ing to fashion prevailing in the colony
at the time, and my'chHnce of life lay
in the endurance of my thews and sinews,
for ! knew l was confronted by DIES.
perate man.
Round and round, backwards and for
wards, circling restlessly, and graphing
each other furiously, we went, while
the sense of strangulation due to his
grip on my throat increased as he strove
TO throw me.
"Ten seconds more and / shall be
choked," 1 thought; and then L loos-
ened one hand from its hold of him,
and struck out with my clenched fist
towards the regions of the heart.
The blow told; he fell like q log, be-
ing apparently paralyzed for the mo-
ment; but in falling he dragged me
with him, and his grasp Of my throat
never relaxed.
81 am dying" thought, striving
with all my remaining strength to loos-
en- his hold of me, and then my thoughts
wandered confusedly towards my moth
or and jamie, and the home had
meant to make for my darling; and
then remember no more. 1 had eth
or tainted or been suffocated into insen.
sibility.
How long / remained thus I cannot
tell. WhenI recovered consciousness
the murderous pressure had fallen of,
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